Youth Sentencing Project

Litigation

Client/Family Support

Training

Request For Assistance

Hear Their Stories

Life without the possibility of parole is, short of execution, the harshest imaginable punishment permitted by law in America. Thousands of people in Texas prisons are serving fundamental death sentences under outdated sentencing laws. Hear their stories, in their own words.

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The Lone Star Justice Alliance’s Youth Sentencing Project promotes the use of developmental science throughout the juvenile legal system. The heart of the Project’s work is our direct representation of children and their families in cases that address systemic failures.

The Lone Star Justice Alliance is the leading advocate in Texas in the fight to end harsh sentences for children in the legal system. We directly represent children in their challenges, provide litigation support and technical assistance to other defenders, and professional training to support the ongoing implementation of these decisions at the state level. We do all of this while fighting for racial justice for children and their families.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Through our Youth Sentencing Project, we provide direct strategic litigation on behalf of youth who were tried in the adult criminal legal system and given extremely long prison sentences, particularly those sentenced to life without parole.

Youth should be held accountable for their wrongdoing in developmentally appropriate ways that consider their age, individual characteristics, and specific circumstances of their cases.

Our staff litigators take the lead on a limited number of cases every year, selecting those that have the potential to influence system-wide change. Last year, LSJA was involved in 13 cases challenging the transfer of youth (either as lead counsel or in a technical support role) and won 12 of these cases.

Litigation

  • Direct Representation. Representing individual youth in cases that have the potential to set legal precedents. LSJA cases are designed to impact a broad population or correct failures that are impacting vulnerable youth.
  • Strategic Litigation. Engaging in class action lawsuits when necessary to impact entire classes of youth after identifying barriers in the system that impede fair application of the law.

Client Support Services

  • Mental Health Support. Monitoring the mental and physical wellbeing of our clients through consistent communication and visitation.
  • Advocacy Before Incarcerating Agencies. Directly engage with the systems that provide services to incarcerated children, including the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Department of Juvenile Justice, and other state and county agencies, to assure minimum standards of care are provided to all incarcerated children.
  • Book Drives. Collecting book donations and collaborating with local partners to distribute free books to inmates in prison units across the state. LSJA also provides our individual clients with packages of their favorite books throughout the year.

Defender Training and Support

  • Raising the Standard of Defense Delivery. Setting the standard of excellence in the defense of children and providing support to juvenile defenders, so that they too can raise the overall quality of juvenile defense in the state.
  • Expanding the pipeline of juvenile defenders. Developing and implementing a robust intern training program for social workers and law students to assist in juvenile sentencing case review growing the pipeline of experienced attorneys and social workers in this field.
  • Increasing the use of trained mitigation investigators. Continuing our efforts to create a rigorous mitigation investigations unit specializing in youth developmental behavior.

Featured YSP Work

Request Pro Bono Assistance 

LSJA is currently accepting applications for pro bono legal services for any youth who are detained in or awaiting transfer to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

Volunteer to Represent Youth

Looking to give some pro bono hours for a good cause? If you agree to take a pro bono case, you will be trained and receive free continuing legal education credit.

Receive Client and Family Support

LSJA provides support to families and formerly incarcerated youth. Reach out here to provide books, connect with others, and join our peer support groups.

In The News

Learn more about our efforts to support children and emerging adults in Texas. 

Advocacy Groups Call on Supreme Court to Summarily Reverse Texas Death-Penalty Decision that Flouted Earlier Court Guidance

Organizations advocating for the rights of abused children and those with mental illness and for fair process are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to, for a second time, summarily reverse a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) decision that upheld the death sentence imposed on Terence Andrus (pictured) despite defense counsel’s failure to investigate and present a “tidal wave” of available mitigating evidence in the penalty phase of his capital trial.

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Project Partners

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Lone Star Justice Alliance (LSJA) is seeking interns in its Dallas and Austin offices for Summer 2024. LSJA is a nonprofit legal organization that improves the lives of youth and emerging adults in the justice system. We envision a justice system that uses developmentally-appropriate responses to behavior and treats youth and emerging adults with equity and dignity to promote resilience, conserve costs, and increase public safety.

YOUTH SENTENCING PROJECT

LSJA represents a number of individuals currently serving life or other extreme sentences for offenses that occurred during their youth. We are presently seeking interns to assist with factual and record investigation in these matters. Current law students are encouraged to apply. Intern responsibilities are likely to include record collection and review, interviewing of the client’s social network, correspondence with the client, drafting of memorandum and declarations, and potentially correspondence and collaboration with expert witnesses. Interns will be involved in strategic decision-making concerning the framing of litigation and will have access and input regarding any court filings and proceedings. The position is unpaid but there is a possibility of future employment. 

Duties: 

  • Client record collection (juvenile, child protective services, school, criminal, other) and review; 
  • Client and fact witness interviewing and memo writing; 
  • Regular client correspondence; 
  • Participation in strategic case discussions and decision-making. 

Qualifications: 

  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice; 
  • Strong organizational skills; 
  • Strong interpersonal skills (experience interviewing is a plus); 
  • Strong writing and communication skills. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke

CLEMENCY PROJECT

LSJA seeks interns to work on representing survivors of sex trafficking and intimate partner violence in clemency applications. This project will capitalize on the 2020 application established by Governor Abbott as a result of LSJA’s advocacy. The project entails identifying potential applicants and pro bono partners to submit a high volume of meritorious applications, as well as follow-up data collection and reporting to raise awareness about underlying issues. Interns will assist in all aspects of the project, from correspondence and review of records for potential applicants, to communication with pro bono organizations and practitioners, to preparation and review of application materials, to data collection/review and drafting of report sections. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new initiative that stands to bring hope and redemption to a large number of people. Current law students may apply. The position is unpaid, but future employment is a possibility. 

Duties: 

  • Drafting and review of correspondence materials; 
  • Record collection and review; 
  • Participation in strategic conferences with partners; 
  • Communication with coalition and pro bono partners; 
  • Data collection/review; 
  • Possible report drafting; 
  • Client file maintenance (Clio). 

Qualifications: 

  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest work; 
  • Background in issues pertaining to sex trafficking, domestic violence, or other forms of trauma a plus; 
  • Strong interpersonal skills; 
  • Strong organizational and communication skills; 
  • Ability to coordinate multiple aspects of a complex project involving many and varied personnel; 
  • Ability to review and compile data/familiarity with statistical analysis. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke

IMPACT LITIGATION

LSJA is seeking interns to assist the organization in conducting impact litigation. Interns will help to file lawsuits intended to change the laws and policies that affect incarcerated youth in Texas. Interns will conduct legal research, draft briefs, and speak with clients. Goals include (1) improving the conditions of confinement for children, (2) lowering the number of children in confinement, (3) moving children in confinement closer to home, and more. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new initiative that stands to bring hope to a large number of people. Current law students may apply. The position is unpaid, but future employment is a possibility. 

Duties: 

  • Research on incarcerate settings and civil rights violations; 
  • Data collection/review; 
  • Possible report and document drafting; 
  • File maintenance (Clio). 

Qualifications: 

  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest work; 
  • Background in issues pertaining to civil rights in incarcerate settings; 
  • Strong interpersonal skills; 
  • Strong organizational and communication skills; 
  • Ability to coordinate multiple aspects of a complex project involving many and varied personnel; 
  • Ability to review and compile data/familiarity with statistical analysis. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke